presidents, you know, have gr t gravitas on foreign policy and president clinton did give president obama a boost in charlotte, and i think this allows the president on a day like today, you know, to look presidential. i think probably governor romney felt the same way in coming to cgi. i think both men being there, it's important to put foreign policy front and center at this point in the campaign. >> i thought it was good mitt romney went there, cracked a couple of good jokes, and you have to say, look at the overall position in this election, it seems extraordinary to me that the polls seem to be widening. when you have a country that's 8.2% unemoyment, $16 trillion in debt, gas prices doubling, all of the huge sticks to beat the incumbent president with. and you look at it, mitt romney has to win, the lead stretched to an eight-point lead. why is this happening? why is mitt romney not able to persuade the public, despite the devastating statistics against barack obama's tenure? he's apparently rolling away to victory in places like ohio? >> is that for me, piers? >> yes, richard. >> t